Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-03-31


But The dark and misty mass poured
forward through The driving storm,
and voices cried out Of Il. I'VE will
hang him now. ifyou pleased" aud a tall
form striding at the front turned its
face the other way and muttered: Its
the kidi"
John Earling sprang down and ran
in front of them. entrcating them in
! the name Of Heaven to dcsist, but both
he and Salvo were swept along like
chaif, and near the jail were swept into
another soothing mass. and the whole
human Hood rolled against and broke
about the big stone jail
In an instant John Earring was upon
the fence-wall pleading for mercy for
the prisoner, but he could not be heard,
and the mass drawing back in the CEN
ter suddenly shot forward and the big
door crashed and the human flood
roarod and the building was filled with
screams.
John Earling sprang into the surging
mass and fought his way toward the
door, and again came the shivering
crash, and the mass drew back with a
roar and plunged forward again bear
ing him with il. and as the oak-trce
ram crashed and tore through the
heavy door he was sucked In by the
frenzicd shouting surge and borne up
the stairway among the iron cells that
rang with shricks. The halls In q
breath were choked with sweating.
steaming, snow-whitencd men. shout
ing, surging. gesticulating, aud dimly
lit up by lanterns In a moment two
stalwart fellows with sledgc hammers
were shifting an iron door. bringing a
crash with every bow and peal Of
shrieks from the celH and roar from
the surging men that filled the hall
stairway, and blackened the street
The big sheriff came crowding into the
hall with revolver In hand. but he was
hurled aside and his revolver wrenched
from his grasp.
just as the door crashed from its
hinges and hung by the lock John
Earling reached it. His hat was of
and his shirt collar torn away, and at
the top of his voice he was imploring
them to desist. In the time Of heart
beat he had his arms about one OF the
men struggling with him. Don't for
God Almighty's sake. All. don't take
his blood upon your soulr' he was
shouting. The painting man had his
eyes turned over his shoulder: "You
told us. Kid, what kind of cuss he is.
and now he's got to prove III You
won't hev to tell us aginl' and with
the words, which were scarcely distin-
guishable in the noise. the iron door
was wrenched back, and, breaking
loose from the lock, hurled them
against the wall, and there, ilattened
against the grating in the farthest
corner of the cell. with eyes starting
from his head. and as white as il lifted
from coffin. stood Fowler. frozen with
terror. In an instant a dozen power
ful hands jerked him, quivering and
begging, forward, and the roaring mass
poured down the stairway into the
seething street. out into the cold night
among the stoi ming elements and still
stormier men. The big sheriff and
John Earling stroye in vain 10 take the
prisoner from them, and Joel Whitney
and Julius Popp, coming putting and
sweating into the misty, shouting
struggling mass, tried TO grapple with
the men who had hold of Fowler, but
they were swept aside like weeds, and
Joel fell upon his back in q snow-flled
gutter with julius across him with his
feet paving the air. and they were run
over by the trampling crowd and their
faces crushed full of dirt and snow.
When Joel recovered his feet no
thought il a very stormy night indeed,
and Julius. unable to express his in
dignation in language, jumped up and
down with great violence and squealed.
For ten minutes the fire bells had been
ringing wildly. and from every quarter
of the town men came painting into the
square and melted into the great, shout.
ing, shifting. misty mass that flooded
two sides Of il, and poured away with
the prisoner toward the mill. The mo-
ment the center of the pack broke into
the square, Fowler was lifted bodily
into the sled and four men held tho
struggling, begging man down. and
one OF them had him by the throat to
still his awful cries.
o. II was cruel beyond all languagci !
Salyo Popp, begging for the prisoner
and dashed about in that vortex Of
passion. will never forget the glmmer-
ing. sweating, snow-blcared Hood Of
angry faces that pressed and shifted
John Earling sprang upon
the sled as il started, and getting hold !
Of the mans arm tore his hand away
from the prison"r's throat, begging in |
the name of manhood, Of God. Of mer
cy, that they would be less cruel with |
the prisoner. There he lay under the |
painting men, ghast'y, and with his
horrOr-gleaming eyes prOtruding. and !
prayed u John Earling to save him. !
m not tit 10 die!' he cried, 20, I'm |
not tit to die! Save me! save me! save
mel" But the long. misty, shifting, |
human river poured over the bridge |
and up the slope, and at the crest. |
v here Maun's blood had wet the grass |
when balmier days were there, the |
white shrieking wretch was dragged |
from the ed and a rope thrown over /
his head. John Earling. in a passion |
OF horror at the deed which was 10 be /
done. got in front Of him and the two.
begging and pleading, and clutched to-
gether, were swept under a tree aud I
torn apart, and John Earring, blind /
and sick, turned away and staggered .
toward the town, hearing Fowler
under the tree: 'J0hn Ear.
ing, see Irgt SHqer' see Iryl Snaer!
sec Icyl SHaerF'
CHAPTER XXI
When the morning famed again. the
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